Recommended deeds of the twenty-third Night of the Month of Ramadhan

All recommended deeds stated above are also recommended for this night and for all the nights referred to above one of which, according to the above-quoted traditions, Lailatul-Qadr may as well be. On all these nights, it is recommended that you perform tke ghusul twice: once at the beginning of the night, and once at its end as Imam alSadiq, peace be upon him, is quoted saying.

It is also recommended that you read the Chapter of the Holy Qur’an dealing with the Romans and the one with the Spider. Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, has told Abu Baseer that whoever recites both chapters of al‘Ankaboot (Spider) and al-Room (Romans) on the twenty-third night of the month of Ramadhan will certainly be among the residents of Paradise without any exception, adding, "... and I do not fear that Allah will record a sin against me for giving such a status for these two Chapters." It is also recommended to recite the Dukhkhan (Smoke) Chapter too.

Imam Ali, peace be upon him, has said, "Everything has a fruit, and the fruit of the Holy Qur’an is the Qadr Chapter. Everything has a treasure, and the treasure that removes poverty is the Qadr Chapter. For everything there is a means whereby it can be attained, and the means of the weak is the Qadr Chapter. For every hardship there is ease, and the ease of those suffering from hardship is the Qadr Chapter.

There is a shield against everything evil, and the shield of the believers is the Qadr Chapter. For everything there is guidance, and the guidance of the righteous is the Qadr Chapter. There is excellence for everything, and the excellence of knowledge is the Qadr Chapter. There is a decoration for everything, and the decoration of the Holy Qur’an is the Qadr Chapter. There is a canopy for everything, and the canopy of the devotees is the Qadr Chapter.

There is a glad tiding for everything, and the glad tiding of the innocent is the Qadr Chapter. There is a Proof (Hujia) for everything, and the Hujja after the Prophet (pbuh) is the Qadr Chapter; therefore, believe in it." He (as) was asked how to believe in it, and he answered, "That it shall occur in each and every year, and that everything revealed in it is true."

He (as) is also quoted saying, "For anyone who recites the Qadr Chapter, God Almighty writes down a good deed for every particle of dust where he sits while reciting it." He (as) is also quoted saying, "It is a good companion for anyone who wishes to pay off his diN. esteem his creed, prolong his life-span, and improve his condition. Anyone who recites it quite often will meet Allah as a sxddeeq and as a martyr."

The book Misbah al-Mutahaflid quotes Muhammad ibn ‘Isa relying on the authority of the righteous, peace be upon them, says: "You should repeat the following invocation on the twenty-third night of the blessed month of Raniadan either prostrating, standing up, or sitting down, or in any other way, and during the entire month and however you can, and whenever you are faced with hard times. Having glorified Allah and sent blessings unto the Prophet and his progeny, peace be upon all of them, you should say,

‘Lord! Be for Your wali Muhammad ibn al-Hassan at this hour and at every hour of the night and the day a Protector, Guardian, Leader, Supporter, Guide and Reconnoiterer, till You let him reside in Your earth willingly and grant him enjoyment therein for a long period of time. O You Who manages all affairs, Who brings life back to the residents of the graves, Who permits the oceans to flow and the iron to be pliant for David, peace be upon him, I pray You to send blessings unto Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad,’ then you mention your wish, raising your hands.

You may repeat it while you are prostrating, kneeling, standing or sitting, and repeat it on the last night of the nights of the month of Ramadhan."

Invocation for the twenty-third night (of the month of Ramadhan)

This is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and it is as follows:

"Praised One, Glorified, Lord of the angels and the Spirit, Praised One, Glorified, Lord of the angels and the Throne, Praised One, Glorified, Lord of the heavens and the earth, Praised One, Glorified, Lord of the oceans and themountains; Praised One, Glorified, praised by the fish in the oceans, by the reptiles and the beasts and the hills;

Praised One, Glorified, praised by the angels and those who are near to Him; Praised One, Glorified, Exalted, Vanquished everything and created everything in a measure. Praised, Praised, Praised, Praised, Praised, Praised, Praised! Glorified, Glorified, Glorified, Glorified, Glorified, Glorified, Glorified! I pray You to send blessings unto Muhammad (pbuh) and the progeny of Muhammad (pbuh) and to forgive me and have mercy on me, for You are the One, the Unique."

Then you ought to add the following:

"Lord! I pray You to make my share of every goodness You have sent down this night, or are sending down this night to be the most generous, of light whereby You guide, or mercy You spread out, or sustenance You divide, or a tribulation You shun, or an evil you expose, and to write for me what you write for Your righteous servants who deserve Your rewards and who deserved security by pleasing You. You affect retribution. You give without a measure; You are the Generous One! I pray You to send blessings unto Muhammad (pbuh) and the progeny of Muhammad (pbuh) and to deal with me mercifully; You are the most Merciful of those who are merciful unto others."

Then you should say:

"I pray You like one who is poor and helpless, and I invoke You like one who is poor and humble, and I ask you like one who has submitted willingly to You and admitted his wrong-doing and whose eyes have over-flown with tears, who is most helpless, who has no other means, to grant me this night forgiveness for all my past sins, and to protect me from sinning for the rest of my life, to grant me pilgrimage and ‘umra this year, to make it pilgrimage purely for the sake of achieving Your pleasure, and to enable me to always do so,

and do not hinder me from visiting Your House and the grave-site of Your Messenger Muhammad Your blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny. And I plead You, Lord, not to let me remain in dire need of Your creatures, of the jinns and of mankind, of the Arabs and of the non-Arabs, of every being whom You can overpower; for You are on the right path.

Lord! Grant me, Lord, of whatever You decide and decree of every destined matter on this night, the fate which cannot be avoided nor can it be altered, to visit Your sacred House among other pilgrims this year whose pilgrimage You appreciate and whose endeavor is forgiven and so are their sins, and to prolong my life-span, to increase my sustenance, and to grant me a dutiful son, for You can do whatever You will, and You are aware of everything."

What ought to be repeated every night for the last ten nights of the month

An annotation on al-Kaf’amis book Al-Misbah contains an invocation narrated through the authority of Imam al-Sadiq (as). It is recommended to be repeated on each of the last ten nights of the month. The author indicates that he (as) used to say the following on each such night:

"Lord! You have said in Your revealed Rook: ‘The month of Ramadhan is that in which the Holy Qur’an was revealed, a guidance to men and clear proofs of the guidance and the distinction,’ and You glorified the sanctity of the month of Ramadhan due to the Holy Qur’an which You revealed therein, assigning Lailatul-Qadr to it and making it better than a thousand months.

Lord! These are the days of the month of Ramadhan which have gone by and so have its nights. Lord! You are more knowledgeable than I, and more aware, of the number of Your devotees; so, I pray You in whatever Your angels who are close to You, Your messengers, and Your righteous devotees, pray You to send blessings unto Muhammad (pbuh) and the progeny of Muhammad, and to free me from the fire, to let me enter into Paradise by Your mercy, and to be Gracious unto me, to forgive me,

to accept my endeavor to be near to You, to respond to my invocation and to grant me security on the day when everyone will be terrified, apprehensive of the horrors prepared on the Day of Judgment. Lord! I seek refuge with Your Glory and Great Prestige not to let the days and nights of the month of Ramadhan pass away without forgiving me for the sins for which You intend that I should atone.

O Lord, Lord, Lord! I pray You, You with Whom there is no other god, for there is no god but You, to be pleased with me in this month, and to be even more pleased with me if You were pleased with me before. So, be pleased with me, Lord, for You are the most Merciful of those who are merciful unto others, O You Who is the One and Only God, the One Independent of any need, the One Who did not beget nor is He begotten, nor is there ever the like of Him.

Then repeat the following at least three times:

"O You Who made the iron pliant to David, peace be upon him! O You Who removed distress and the great agony from Jacob, peace be upon him! O You Who removed the distress of Joseph, peace be upon him! I pray You to send blessings unto Muhammad (pbuh) and the progeny of Muhammad, for You are Capable of doing so, and not to punish me with the punishment that I deserve."